Autonomous electric buses

Deutsche Bahn is bringing autonomous driving onto the road and into public transport for the first time

Monday morning, 7 am, the new work week begins, the train leaves in half an hour and the personal pick-up service is already waiting - an autonomous electric bus that automatically collects other travelers with similar routes and brings them to their destination: the nearest train station. In this way, individual mobility without a car is also possible in rural areas. Almost like a taxi - only as an offer of public transport and at the prices prevailing there.

You could think about future music. However, Deutsche Bahn has just launched the first autonomous bus service in Germany in Bavaria. Explained goal: to bring autonomous driving into public transport and to link it with on-demand mobility, ie the bus not only drives by itself, but also when the customer needs it.

In addition to the pilot project in Bad Birnbach, it becomes concrete in Hamburg, among other places: In the framework of the Smart City partnership between DB and the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, Hamburg will receive a test field in 2018 with a station connection for autonomous electric buses. The DB is already a pioneer in the operation of autonomous electric buses and can look back on the experience of several test fields. The autonomous bus line Bad Birnbach is the first project in public street space.

In the future, DB not only wants to bring its customers directly to their destination without a driver, but also on demand - "on-demand". Bundled are on-demand offers - with and without drivers - at DB under the new brand "ioki".